Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand
Objectives To determine urinary mercury levels in e-waste workers in Southern Thailand and the airborne mercury levels in the e-waste shops where they worked, to describe the associations between urinary and airborne mercury levels, and to evaluate the prevalence of mercury exposure-related health e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Korean Society for Preventive Medicine
2018-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.jpmph.org/upload/pdf/jpmph-51-4-196.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828155275070144512 |
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| author | Somsiri Decharat |
| author_facet | Somsiri Decharat |
| author_sort | Somsiri Decharat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives To determine urinary mercury levels in e-waste workers in Southern Thailand and the airborne mercury levels in the e-waste shops where they worked, to describe the associations between urinary and airborne mercury levels, and to evaluate the prevalence of mercury exposure-related health effects among e-waste workers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing 79 workers in 25 e-waste shops who lived in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. Information on general and occupational characteristics, personal protective equipment use, and personal hygiene was collected by questionnaire. Urine samples were collected to determine mercury levels using a cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometer mercury analyzer. Results The e-waste workers’ urinary mercury levels were 11.60±5.23 μg/g creatinine (range, 2.00 to 26.00 μg/g creatinine) and the mean airborne mercury levels were 17.00±0.50 μg/m3 (range, 3.00 to 29.00 μg/m3). The urinary and airborne mercury levels were significantly correlated (r=0.552, p<0.001). The prevalence of self-reported symptoms was 46.8% for insomnia, 36.7% for muscle atrophy, 24.1% for weakness, and 20.3% for headaches. Conclusions Personal hygiene was found to be an important protective factor, and should therefore be stressed in educational programs. Employers should implement engineering measures to reduce urinary mercury levels and the prevalence of associated health symptoms among e-waste workers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:50:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0a04c08b9364d3d94844c1b01b2a530 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1975-8375 2233-4521 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:50:53Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | Korean Society for Preventive Medicine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0a04c08b9364d3d94844c1b01b2a5302022-12-22T03:58:35ZengKorean Society for Preventive MedicineJournal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health1975-83752233-45212018-07-0151419620410.3961/jpmph.18.0491974Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, ThailandSomsiri DecharatObjectives To determine urinary mercury levels in e-waste workers in Southern Thailand and the airborne mercury levels in the e-waste shops where they worked, to describe the associations between urinary and airborne mercury levels, and to evaluate the prevalence of mercury exposure-related health effects among e-waste workers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing 79 workers in 25 e-waste shops who lived in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. Information on general and occupational characteristics, personal protective equipment use, and personal hygiene was collected by questionnaire. Urine samples were collected to determine mercury levels using a cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometer mercury analyzer. Results The e-waste workers’ urinary mercury levels were 11.60±5.23 μg/g creatinine (range, 2.00 to 26.00 μg/g creatinine) and the mean airborne mercury levels were 17.00±0.50 μg/m3 (range, 3.00 to 29.00 μg/m3). The urinary and airborne mercury levels were significantly correlated (r=0.552, p<0.001). The prevalence of self-reported symptoms was 46.8% for insomnia, 36.7% for muscle atrophy, 24.1% for weakness, and 20.3% for headaches. Conclusions Personal hygiene was found to be an important protective factor, and should therefore be stressed in educational programs. Employers should implement engineering measures to reduce urinary mercury levels and the prevalence of associated health symptoms among e-waste workers.http://www.jpmph.org/upload/pdf/jpmph-51-4-196.pdfE-waste shopMercuryPrevalencUrineCross-sectional studiesThailand |
| spellingShingle | Somsiri Decharat Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health E-waste shop Mercury Prevalenc Urine Cross-sectional studies Thailand |
| title | Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand |
| title_full | Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand |
| title_fullStr | Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand |
| title_short | Urinary Mercury Levels Among Workers in E-waste Shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand |
| title_sort | urinary mercury levels among workers in e waste shops in nakhon si thammarat province thailand |
| topic | E-waste shop Mercury Prevalenc Urine Cross-sectional studies Thailand |
| url | http://www.jpmph.org/upload/pdf/jpmph-51-4-196.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT somsiridecharat urinarymercurylevelsamongworkersinewasteshopsinnakhonsithammaratprovincethailand |